Mikhail M. Kasyanov
Prime Minister of Russia in 2000-2004, Leader of People's Freedom Party (PARNAS)
Kasyanov is a Russian politician who was the Minister of Finance in 1999-2000. A first non-deficit budget in new Russian history was then designed and implemented. From 2000 to 2004 Kasyanov served as Prime Minister of Russia. He advanced a number of pro-democratic reforms that opened Russia’s boarders, liberalised capital control and foreign trade, implemented tax and customs reform, created the land market and others. Successful implementation of the reforms led Russia to a trajectory of sustainable economic growth.
In 2006, Kasyanov came back to politics to fight for democratic values against growing authoritarian tide of Mr. Putin. In 2008, Kasyanov as a candidate participated in presidential elections but soon was denied on political grounds.Kasyanov’s and Nemtsov’s PARNAS initiated massive protests of citizens against lawlessness and corruption, war in Ukraine. PARNAS pursues the policy of decommunization in Russia. Kasyanov received several death threats including one made by Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, one of Putin’s most loyal allies. He released a video showing opposition leader Kasyanov in the cross-hairs of a sniper’s rifle. Days later, several Chechen men attacked Kasyanov in a Moscow restaurant, rubbed a cake in his face and threatened him.
Mikhail Kasyanov is a principled and consistent critic of Mr. Putin and his regime. From the very first day of Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kasyanov and the PARNAS party condemn this aggression and express their support for the people of Ukraine. Recently the authorities have decided to liquidate the PARNAS Party and Mikhail Kasyanov was named as “foreign agent”.
